The Final Revival of Opal & Nev

By: Dawnie Walton

Narrated by: Janina Edwards, Bahni Turpin, James Langton, André De Shields, Dennis Boutsikaris, Steve West, Gabra Zackman, full cast

Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

2022 FICTION AUDIE AWARD WINNER!

An electrifying novel about the meteoric rise of an iconic interracial rock duo in the 1970s, their sensational breakup, and the dark secrets unearthed when they try to reunite decades later for one last tour.

A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BUZZ PICK
NAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2021 BY BARACK OBAMA * THE WASHINGTON POST * NPR * ESQUIRE * ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY * GOODREADS * THE MILLIONS * READER’S DIGEST * PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER * EERIE READER * PUBLIC RADIO TULSA * CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY * KIRKUS REVIEWS

“Feels truer and more mesmerizing than some true stories. It’s a packed time capsule that doubles as a stick of dynamite.” —THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

Opal is a fiercely independent young woman pushing against the grain in her style and attitude, Afro-punk before that term existed. Coming of age in Detroit, she can’t imagine settling for a 9-to-5 job—despite her unusual looks, Opal believes she can be a star. So when the aspiring British singer/songwriter Neville Charles discovers her at a bar’s amateur night, she takes him up on his offer to make rock music together for the fledgling Rivington Records.

In early seventies New York City, just as she’s finding her niche as part of a flamboyant and funky creative scene, a rival band signed to her label brandishes a Confederate flag at a promotional concert. Opal’s bold protest and the violence that ensues set off a chain of events that will not only change the lives of those she loves, but also be a deadly reminder that repercussions are always harsher for women, especially black women, who dare to speak their truth.

Decades later, as Opal considers a 2016 reunion with Nev, music journalist S. Sunny Shelton seizes the chance to curate an oral history about her idols. Sunny thought she knew most of the stories leading up to the cult duo’s most politicized chapter. But as her interviews dig deeper, a nasty new allegation from an unexpected source threatens to blow up everything.

Provocative and chilling, The Final Revival of Opal & Nev features a backup chorus of unforgettable voices, a heroine the likes of which we’ve not seen in storytelling, and a daring structure, and introduces a bold new voice in contemporary fiction.

©2021 Dawnie Walton. All rights reserved. (P)2021 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Amazing!!!

Absolutely loved this book from start to finish! Listened while I read along. All narrators were excellent!

Fantastic Read

This book was amazing and the audio book eith full cast best brings it to life. The characters are so well developed I found myself stopping at times just to remind myself they weren't real. The story is impeccably told--all I can say is WOW! Well done Ms.Dawnie Walton!!

Tiresome.

Much too long and the characters are all caricatures. Voice actors were mostly quite good.

A brilliant production!

Love love loved the audio of “The Final Revival of Opal and Nev”. I’m not sure that if I read this (rather than listening), it would have been as enjoyable. This is an anthology of a fictious punk rock duo, but it’s in the form of a podcast or oral history with multiple narrators providing their insight to the band and the individuals associated with the band. We hear from the music promoters, fans, managers, band members, etc. Plus, it’s a dive into the music and cultural past, showing how music inspired culture, making this an interesting historical fiction story. Remember free concerts? Festivals? Do you recall the Altamont incident where a black man was beaten by Hells Angels at a free concert featuring the Rolling Stones? You shall be reminded.

This oral history begins with the fictitious Sunny Shelton named as the first-ever Black editor of Aural, a fictional print magazine. The stakes are high for Sunny. Sunny’s backstory is that her father was a black drummer for Nev and Opal when they performed at a concert that also featured a southern country band whose emblem is the Confederate Flag. When the fans of the two music groups collided, Sunny’s father was brutally beaten and killed. Thus, Sunny has a particular interest in this band. Mostly, her interest lies with Opal Jewel.

Nev found Opal in the late 1960’s in Detroit, where she performed with her sister. Nev, a pale white man, tall with ginger hair, contrasted beautifully with Opal. She is a powerful black woman who loves to dress for affect. The real Grace Jones came to mind when I pictured Opal. Meanwhile Nev is British and uninteresting in looks. But when the two are on stage, it’s powerful. They amazingly rise to fame in the 1970’s as an interracial rock duo. They fall apart after a tragic promotional concert when Sunny’s father is murdered. It is Opal who suffers most from the tragedy; culture is not kind to black performers, especially women.

Through the oral history, we learn of music events that occur and their relevance to pop culture. It’s a fun and entertaining journey. Author Dawnie Walton exposes racial and gender inequities during that time.

Truly, what’s best is the entertainment value of listening to this unique structure. Compiling all the differing voices made this a fun listen. Kudos to Simon and Schuster Audio productions because I feel that the amazing audio made this story for me. In fact, I googled Nev Charles to see if he was a true musician (he is not). And of course, the wonderful Bahni Turpin (she voices Opal) made this exceptional. I am a huge fan of hers.

My word of caution if you listen to this is that you will be duped into believing this is a real story. It is NOT. But, it could be. The historical references make this believable in a fun way. Music lovers, treat yourself! Listen to this outstanding audio.

Music and Social Justice

What an intriguing story for anyone who remembers or wants to learn about how music influences our lives. I loved the different perspectives all the characters portray. The writing is intricate and connected so pay attention and enjoy!

Along for the Ride

This was like a front row seat for the trajectory of a music career. Excellent narration, and a real depiction of how black creativity is undervalued and overshadowed. What a ride this was! Well done.

Brilliant!

I only stopped listening to sleep. This was an amazing ride and I now I must own the book.

Liked the alternating POVs

This book had the potential to be really interesting but instead it fell really flat to me. This book starts off strong by talking about Opal & Nev, how they started in music and what brought them together. These parts were good, leading up to a culminating event that resulted in the death of their drummer, Jimmy Curtis. But the actual event happens in just a couple minutes of the audio, and then the rest of the book is talking about the aftermath. The problem arises when the aftermath isn’t at all interesting. We don’t get a deep dive into the emotional fall out. We don’t get his wife’s perspective. We do get his daughter, who wasn’t born yet and adds little value to the story, and we get an expository evaluation of every single outfit worn by every single character. This book is a highlight of the social and racial issues of the 60s and 70s and that little has changed in 2016 America. It is an important story, and told in a unique and entertaining format, just not interestingly well.

Incredible, relevant, powerful storytelling

The storytelling, the brilliant layering of culturally relevant history with the riveting fictional characters, the generational intrigue, the way she can describe music and performance so clearly you feel like you’re watching it…all of this makes this story (and particularly the Audible performances) something you won’t want to put down.

Epic

This story/documentary needs to be a movie. I desperately wanted it to be a true story but I found out it wasn’t.